The Legend (2)

As time slipped away, the moon reigned on the horizon and the night slowly expanded like a black blanket. Before the members of the councils left the council chamber, Emperor Leofric called for another meeting for tomorrow.

Without wasting time, Leofric paced the hallway to his private study to take care of his stacking paperwork, with his secretary following his tracks.

As they arrived, Leofric felt the delayed arrival of the stress wave. He headed to take a seat at his desk. He let out a sigh and massaged his nose bridge with his fingers.

"What is your outlook about the legend of the red fox spirit, Your Majesty?" queried Willmot Motley.

"What am I supposed to say?" But Leofric refused to give a straight answer to his question.

Therefore, Willmot stood still on his post and mind his business. He just watched Leofric lowered his hand and read the pages of the documents sitting on his desk.

The tick-tocks of the wall clock filled the void. Eventually, Leofric talked again.

"Fetch me all books that have to do with the spirits and element holders."

"At once, Your Majesty." Willmot bowed. He pushed the door open, stormed out of the emperor's private study, and headed to the library.

Leofric lifted his gaze and caught Willmot's back walking away. As the door closed, he waited for Willmot's footsteps echoing in the hallway to disappear. That way he knew his secretary left and he could analyze the situation for himself.

He exhaled. The stillness of his study made him recall the meeting. "...The legend of the red fox spirit and the crowned prince, huh? What nonsense to mention in the middle of the war's discussion."

Leofric would lie if he would say he hadn't heard the story. He knew the legend because it was a common bedtime story, and he had grown tired of it. His sick mother, a queen of the deceased emperor, would read it every night to make him sleep.

"Legends are legends," Leofric convinced himself. "But Duke Turman was right. We need support from an aide." He rested both his elbows on his desk and clasped his hands together. "The nobles in the intelligence council are all useless pieces of shits."

The war hadn't gone for two years. Yet they already sent the second squad to the war grounds. This wasn't originally the plan, but all had changed when they received a letter from the center barracks.

It was a report that the enemy wiped the first squad out to dust, where only 1,000 of the 35,000 knights made it alive. "Hoo, if they destroyed the second squad with 50,000 knights too, sending the third squad would be a strain in our finances," he breathed. "The knights who survived in the first squad needed medical and food supplies quickly, and we must give the families of the knights who died in the war grounds financial help."

Leofric tightened his hold on his hands until his knuckles went white. It was obvious what his enemy wanted: an abundant harvest of mana stone.

Mineral stones were normally expensive. A single mana stone was enough to buy a mansion and gaining twenty could cost a palace. But what about owning a mana stone mine?

Coincidentally, the Zeph Empire had mines with heap loads of mana stones. Other states could have none, and having one was already a wealth. But the Zeph Empire had three. This was the reason they attracted the eyes of their neighboring states.

A line formed between his eyebrows. "...Rowan, you fuck. I see that your brain wasn't all fat," Leofric growled.

King Rowan Schmidt, the monarch of Gesica, was aware of the Zeph Empire's three mana stone mines' location. "Which should be confidential information," he mumbled.

It only meant nothing but a traitor hiding inside Leofric's palace.

"Your Majesty, I bought the book," announced Willmot. He passed through the guards and pulled the doors open. He stepped inside the emperor's private study, took an inhale before speaking, "The librarian said we only have one record about the spirits other than the legend book borrowed by the wizard—"

"Willmott," called Leofric.

The grand secretary walked toward the desk and placed the thick book. "Yes, Your Majesty?" Willmott asked.

"Do you believe in spirits?"

"...I believe in the holders of elements," Willmott paused, "so yes, I also think spirits aren't myths, Your Majesty."

…

A day passed, and it was a busy morning. The members of councils that attended yesterday started swarming in the council chamber early. They were mumbling the same question the whole time, waiting for the meeting to start.

"Where is His Majesty?"

As the people in the council chamber expected for his arrival, Emperor Leofric was in his private study. He hadn't caught a wink of sleep yet. He finished all the documents sitting on his desk and read the book about spirits.

"Your Majesty," called a voice from the other side of the doors after a knock. "I heard you asked for my attendance?"

"Come in, wizard."

Draz Willian followed the emperor's command. The guards opened the doors for him. When he took a step in, immersive mana slapped him and woke his senses. He also hadn't slept since he wrote records about the fox spirit. His only source was the legend's book dedicated to her.

As expected of Emperor Leofric. He could easily scare a wizard and make his knees tremble like a chicken.

"...Have you recently finished your weekly mana cleansing?" Draz asked. He watched Leofric open his windows to reduce the mana roaming wildly around the private study. "Your Majesty, normal mages can only clean their mana once a month. Too much exposure to 'null' can be deadly—"

"Am I a normal mage, Draz?" Leofric cut him off.

Taken aback, the wizard let out a laugh after mending his posture. "No, no. Of course, His Majesty is an exception." He couldn't control his smile as he took his seat on a couch.

Leofric released a cough. He gestured to his secretary standing at a post to fetch a drink. As Willmott left them alone, Leofric grabbed a seat in front of his guest. He sunk his ass and spoke, "Wizard Draz, I called for you because I want to ask you something."

"What is it?"

Leofric stared directly into the wizard's eyes. "What do you know about the fox spirit?"

"Huh, do you believe in the legend now?" The query protruded from his lips without a filter. Realizing his rudeness, Draz coughed and revised his question. "I mean, what do you want to know, Your Majesty?"

"Her cave temple's specific location."